Wales urged to step aside so Ukraine can compete in the World Cup
Saturday, 26th Mar 2022 10:57 by Keith Haynes

A respected journalist from the Daily Telegraph has stated that Wales and Scotland should step aside to allow Ukraine to compete in this years World Cup Finals. Jim White who has been instrumental in reporting at the Telegraph, The Guardian and The Independent seems to have lost his way somewhat with his latest suggestion.

White should not be confused with Jim White Sky Sports News & Talk Sport correspondent and presenter.

White had a luxurious middle class upbringing attending Manchester Grammar School before reading literature at University. A supporter of Manchester United he has written some through provoking articles on his favoured team and appears on the BBC regularly. Like many of the BBC & Sky appointed journalists he is England obsessed, and can find an England story even on the day Wales faced Portugal in the semi final of the 2016 Euros in France. This limits a journalists eye view on the game, and his latest quotes are pretty astonishing and for us, very funny,

His comments that have struck anger in to many celtic hearts.”In order to get to Qatar in November, Wales may well have to defeat Ukraine. Scotland face the same moral conundrum," he wrote. "To get to the point where they could meet up with Wales for the last berth in the tournament, they will first have to better Ukraine, whenever their delayed semi-final is able to take place. It is not a thought to savour. Rather it is one to bring pause. Both Wales and Scotland are used to being the underdogs, the neutral’s favourite, the side everyone else wants to win. Especially when they are playing England. Not this time. This time they are loaded with a different symbolism. This time they are the sides playing to destroy a rare moment of illumination for a nation currently shrouded in miserable, imposed darkness. Suddenly they are the sides looking to extinguish a rare moment of hope in a nation being destroyed before our very eyes. Imagine if Ukraine made it to the tournament in November, what that could mean for the morale in the beleaguered nation. Imagine Andriy Yarmolenko and Oleksandr Zinchenko lining up to sing the Ukrainian national anthem ahead of their first group stage game against Brazil. What a magnificent riposte it would be to the murderous dictator in the Kremlin, a man who knows full well what the World Cup offers in terms of international prestige and exposure. After all, he bribed and bullied his way to hosting the entire competition the last time it was staged. As David Moyes pointed out recently, when it comes to showing solidarity with the people of Ukraine, British football has been good at gestures. Brighton have played in Ukraine kit, Southampton have lit up St Mary’s in yellow and blue, Premier League captains have worn armbands in Ukrainian colours”

Even the prime minister was sucked into the discussion beforehand, a non football follower and completely devoid of any football knowledge he stated when asked about a free passage for Ukraine. : “Sounds like a good idea to me but I’m out of area here, I’ve got to admit that’s not my strong subject. I don’t see why not, is my view” He added: “Let me put it this way, given what Ukraine has been going through, given the privations that Ukrainian footballers have had to endure, I’m sure that every possible sympathy and allowances should be made for them.” Obviously not endorsing the removal of Wales or Scotland ( he wouldn’t know of any success Wales had on Thursday evening for sure ) Johnson once again decided to comment on a subject he knows little about.

White concluded ridiculously "But this would be more than virtue signalling. This would be a proper and meaningful statement of support. For Wales and Scotland to stand aside would be one of the most impressive actions in the history of sport. Sacrificing your own goals and ambitions to promote and highlight someone else would command genuine, lasting respect. A lot more respect indeed than qualifying and not making it beyond the group stage."

It’s an interesting point of view, and had one of our more respected journalists in Wales said the same thing, but suggested it should be England to step aside we are sure it would be ridiculed. It’s just another example of the pathetic superiority England and especially its journalists hold for their own opinion and country. A whole fifty five year history of failure their only reference point. The old boys journalistic opinions may sit well in the London taverna’s and whisky stained bars of the perceived privileged, but they smell of contempt to me.

It’s already been suggested that due to the horrendous actions of Russia and Putin that Ukraine have fair passage to the World Cup in 2026. That’s not argued. It’s a realistic suggestion. What isn’t a realistic suggestion is that of an opinionated journalist willing to sacrifice two nations sporting chance just so he can be what he suggests this is not.

A virtue signalling piece of journalistic nonsense which would be met with absolute horror if it was England in the firing line. Oh god forbid if that was to happen.